The Dos and Don’ts of Texting Naked Pics [He Said/She Said]

Ellen Scott

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At least once a month there’s some kind of naked pic/sex tape celebrity scandal, which you’d think would put people off recording and distributing any kind of sexual stuff of themselves. But hey, just because Minka Kelly let her sex tape slip doesn’t mean you will, right? Honestly, even though your parents/friends/responsible adults might discourage ever sending naked photos, if you’re smart about it it can be fun! For long distance relationships, it’s kind of essential. But there are some basic rules of naked pics, from simple sexting etiquette to the best ways to protect yourself from embarrassment or getting hurt.

1. I know a lot of people might disagree, but it’s not really a smart idea to send pics to random hookups or those guys who you have intense sexual chemistry with, but only hookup with when drunk or really, really horny. I’m not saying only send photos to boyfriends, but do only send them to people you trust.

2. Hey guys, no unsolicited dick pics, please.

3. Don’t show ANYONE. Some girls think it’s totally cool to show their best friend exactly how awesome their boyfriend’s penis is. Newsflash: it’s totally not cool. Some guys think it’s cool to show random guys pics of a hot girl they hooked up with last week, it’s not. If a photo is sent for you, it’s for your eyes only.

4. Kind of an awkward conversation, so again, maybe people should only be sending pics to people they really know and trust, but you need to establish your own rules and what you’re comfortable with. Guys tend to play the whole ‘oh, you didn’t tell me not to, so I thought it would be cool if I taped us having sex’ card, so lay down the law before you even consider taking photographic evidence of anything. Make sure they know if you don’t want anyone to see, want the photos deleted the second after they’ve been sent, or expect sexting exclusivity. If you don’t let a guy know what you want, how is he supposed to figure it out?!

5. Be smart. Maybe don’t include your face in photos? If you’re famous, maybe don’t even make a sex tape or take sexy photos. That would be a good idea.

6. I’m directing this one towards guys, but there might be some girls guilty of this too – never pressure anyone to send pics, it’s awkward and rude.

7. Make sure your photos are actually sexy. Put on some nice underwear, make sure you’re, um, groomed, find some good lighting and work it. Also no funny sexual photos unless that’s your kind of relationship, I feel like if a guy was expecting a hot photo and then you send him some of your stellar comedy shots instead, he might not be too pleased.

8. If you’re doing anything naughty, like cheating or doing it with someone in secret, just don’t send photos, seriously. The risk is too high and it’s just not worth it.

9. Be organized. As in, put any photos you plan on keeping into a safe, hidden folder on your computer, with a name that isn’t ‘dick pics’. If the photos are on your phone, put them in a separate folder or something, it’s really uncomfortable when you’re flicking through someone’s iPhone photos and suddenly you see a random guy’s boner.

10. If you break up, or anything bad happens, please just delete all the photos. One day you’ll be really angry, and the temptation to publicly shame each other will just be too high. I knew a guy who cheated on his girlfriend, so she took it upon herself to post photos of his penis all over facebook with the caption: ‘hey everyone, look how small his dick is’. Don’t do that, it’s highly entertaining but also very, very mean.